


Insert Slightly Angsty Flower Reference Here

by ilikepie2000



Series: Imagine That... [1]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Abuse of italics, Angst, Bones Suffers, But it's okay eventually, Comfort, Established James T. Kirk/Spock, Every person on The Enterprise ships them fight me, Fluff, Geoff knows all, Hanahaki Disease, Happy Ending?, Hikaru Sulu (mentioned) - Freeform, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, I Made Myself Cry, Joanna McCoy (mentioned) - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Poor Bones, Pre-James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, abuse of parentheses, mostly angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 07:03:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15746712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilikepie2000/pseuds/ilikepie2000
Summary: Alternately titled: "And the Petals Fall..."Bones gets Hanahaki Disease. Here's what happens after."Bones catches Jim and Spock talking in the distance. The ache in his chest grows as they smile at each other, Jim closes the gap as he whispers something into Spock’s ear. Something blossoms in Leonard’s chest as he clutches the hem of his uniform uncomfortably, turning back to his quarters as he all but ran towards it.He locks the door when he finds himself alone, sliding down the door with an ungraceful thump. Curling up on himself, he coughs the first flower petal up.He’s fallen for the both of them.”(Summary taken fromthis post and artby smauglicious that kickstarted this plot bunny.)





	1. Super-Short Angsty Version

**Author's Note:**

> This prompt hijacked my brain and wouldn't let go. There still might be more. However, I couldn't write it very well so it's written as a series of "Imagine that..."s.
> 
> This whole story got started by [this post and art](https://smauglicious.tumblr.com/post/172925003268/hanahaki-disease-an-illness-born-from-one-sided) by smauglicious. I wrote a little bit, and then I had more, and then there was more, and more and more and more. There's still more percolating in my brain.

Imagine Bones knowing what this is, having treated it before. Imagine him dreading his inevitable bloody end, because in his experience _ALL_ feelings for that person are removed with the flower, and he’s cared too much for too long to get rid of it now.

Imagine Christine Chapel thinking it’s weird that Doctor McCoy’s cough hasn’t gone away, even though if anyone can treat it, he can.

Imagine Bones having to stop going to chess night, because them there together makes it even worse. ( _But staying in his quarters alone is worse still – he can feel the petals unfurling and forcing their way up. The first night he skips is the first of many where the blue petal comes out dripping red.)_

Imagine when he eventually has to stop coming to the bridge.

Imagine he requests sick leave, and staying in his quarters, coughing up petals and writing good-bye letters, his CMO override putting his room under quarantine.

Imagine Jim finally hacks his room and finds him nearly dead, limp on the bed, a halo of blue and red petals around him, the letter to Jim and Spock open and unfinished on the padd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY Y'ALL PLEASE LOOK AT THE COMMENT THREAD THAT ANTIEL STARTED. FANTASTIC.
> 
> With Antiel's help there is a continuation of this chapter, along with a proposed fix-it. I'm just not quite sure how to add it into the actual chapter, and with college I don't have the brain cells to figure it out lol. BUT YES. READ ANTIEL'S COMMENTS THEY'RE THE BEST.


	2. Long (ish) Angsty Version with Happy Ending

Alternately, imagine on his last away mission ( _before he plans to declare himself medically incapable of them_ ) Bones assists in negotiations with a new alien species. One of them sees him coughing up flower petals _(almost a whole flower – it won’t be long now)_ and recognizes it as Hanahaki. Of course, they call it something else, but it is extremely common in their society.

Imagine that as a gesture of good will, they inform Jim that they can cure his Doctor from the fatal disease he has. (‘ _Disease? What disease? Spock, did you know about this?’ ‘Negative Captain.’)_ Imagine that Jim knew something was wrong, but he didn’t know it was fatal. After some discussion with Spock, imagine he agrees and the aliens magic the flower out.

Imagine that it has the same effect that surgery does.

Imagine the hurt and confusion when Bones is suddenly completely impartial to Jim and Spock.

Imagine all the conversations (read – friendly debates) Spock tries to start, but there’s no incentive for Bones to try anymore – no affection to convey, no friendship to bolster, only professional awareness. ( _But then, if M’Benga is technically the one more knowledgeable about Vulcans, how much more emotional detachment would there be? If he’s not even Spock’s doctor – just the CMO?_ )

Imagine Jim going to check on Bones after this whole fiasco, to ask _what disease did you have_ and _why didn’t you tell me?_ But Bones talks to Jim like he talks to Admirals – with grudging respect for position and past experience, but no particular warmth. Just professional interest.

Imagine the bridge crew wondering what Spock and Jim had done to earn them the cold shoulder from Doctor McCoy when he visits the Bridge.

Imagine chess nights become even more melancholy. Imagine Jim and Spock setting out the chess board and going to get a glass or two…before remembering and leaving them in the cupboard with a sigh.

Imagine Jim and Spock wondering what went wrong, and turning the ship around to go back to the planet and fix it.

Imagine them discussing why it’s hit them so hard.

Imagine that night – as they discuss what went wrong, what they had hoped his emotions would be, what **he** might have been for them – they suffer simultaneously coughing fits.

Imagine what they see floating into their hands.

Small pink petals.

Peach Blossoms.

__

Imagine they don’t or can’t go back.

Imagine they continue on, and eventually Doctor McCoy ( _cause the only person who calls him ‘Bones’ is Jim, and with the emotional distance, even Jim’s use of that has petered out)_ transfers off the Enterprise. With no real emotional connection, there’s no reason to stay when he’d much prefer firm planet beneath his feet.

Imagine that he kept some petals in a jar as a keepsake ( _to prove to the romantist inside him that love is never worth it. First the ex-wife ((and the separate jar of Carnation petals – purple, yellow, striped ones – that kickstarted the end of their relationship. (((it’s easy to know that your marriage is pretty much over when loving them gives you a fatal disease.))) He keeps that jar hidden in his closet.)) and now this)_.

Imagine Spock and Jim helping him pack. ( _‘If you don’t mind me asking, why in blue blazes would you do this.’     ‘In memory of what we once were. Besides, we’ll miss you Bones.’      ‘Agreed. I hypothesize Medical efficiency will go down .352% with your departure.’)_

Imagine them finding the jars of petals. ( _‘Bones, what is this?’  ‘A keepsake. Just the universe hammerin’ home a lesson, I guess.’_ ) Imagine Spock being strangely silent after that.

Imagine that as Doctor McCoy leaves Spock pulls Jim aside. ( _‘Jim. I’m sure you noticed the different flowers present in Doctor McCoy’s collection.’    ‘I did Spock, what of it?’    ‘Did you also notice that the petals closest to the top were not yet fully dried?’   ‘…no I did not. What are you saying, Mister Spock?’_ )

Imagine the realization that the disease Bones had been suffering from was Hanahaki disease.

Imagine the realization that if they hadn’t agreed, then their recognition of their love for him would have cured him anyway.

Imagine how many petals they cough up that night.

Imagine two weeks after he transfers Jim and Spock get their flowers removed, because nothing could come of it now anyway.

____

Imagine that decades have passed. Everyone has moved on.

Imagine that Jim and Spock end up back at the Academy – to teach this time.

Imagine Doctor McCoy teaches there too.

Imagine they're all older but not quite ‘Old Men’ yet.

Imagine they agree to meet up for coffee sometime.

Imagine they’re hesitant to discuss things at first, but they end up talking about life after Len’s transfer off the Enterprise. They talk about Joanna, and the fact that he just became a grandpa.

Imagine them becoming reacquainted. Imagine them getting together for lunch a couple times a week.

Imagine their friendship becoming re-established.

Imagine that lunch becomes dinner.

Imagine chess nights start up again. Imagine ‘chess nights’ expand to poker night, puzzle night, ‘let’s-get-together-and-grade-papers’ night.

Imagine they slowly start to become something more.

 Imagine that when they recognize their feelings, they start to dread that first petal.

Imagine the elation when there never is one.


	3. Slightly Angsty Long Requited Happy Ending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here's where the abuse of parentheses and italics comes in. You have been warned.

Imagine that he suffers for a few months. As Jim and Spock work things out between them the flowers come quickly. The first time he sees a Moment between them, he gives them a supportive smile; shifting to relieve the discomfort of a bud blooming in his chest.

Imagine he starts to withdraw some (‘ _to give you space, Jim. You don’t want me around on your dates with him.’_ ) to disguise the fact that every time he sees them he coughs up a petal or two (even when it’s just a glimpse of _the back of his head as he went into the turbo lift you dumb flower, give me a break wouldja_ ).

Imagine that they flower doesn’t impede his work efficiency – unless he thinks about Jim or Spock at all ( _and he never realized that he thought about Jim and Spock as much as he did until he could feel the flower grow each time_ ) or unless they came to visit him ( _which they seem to do an awful lot, and has it always been like that?_ ) or unless he goes up to visit the bridge ( _which he slowly stops doing because they’ll definitely ask questions if he’s perpetually suffering from coughing fits ((“Have you seen Doctor McCoy lately, Captain? It’s been awhile since he’s visited the bridge.”   “I’m sure he’s fine Mr. Sulu. He’s just…busy.”)) and can only stay for maybe 2 minutes at a time._ _And he can’t hold up under that kind of scrutiny. And if they actually **saw** one of the petals…sweet glory, he’d never get any peace again!_ ).

Meanwhile, imagine Jim and Spock are developing their relationship but can’t shake the feeling that something’s missing. Imagine that one morning as they get ready for Alpha shift, they talk about what they need in their relationship ( _‘-something to balance us out a little. Because together we’re great, Spock. But with whatever – or whoever – we’re missing…we’ll be glorious. I can feel it.”  “I very much agree Jim.”_ ) and they decide to think about it separately and talk about it the next evening, after shift.

Imagine that during that day Bones gets injured on an away mission. Imagine that most of his injuries are superficial, but he has one serious one. (Which he got shoving Jim/Spock out of the way.) Imagine that when Dr. M’Benga scans him and discovers the Hanahaki, he immediately puts him in a medical coma while they heal his other injuries to keep the flower from growing while he’s unconscious.

Imagine that it takes longer to heal Bones that he thought. Imagine it takes at least 3-4 days before they can bring him out of the coma and fix everything.

Imagine that during those days Jim and Spock realize through his absence that his presence is exactly what they’ve been missing.

Imagine that they each come to this conclusion and then they hurry ( _as much as a Vulcan **will**_ _‘hurry’, ((although Spock will admit he covered .5436% more ground with each stride than normal)) it’s usually more ‘formal speed walking’._ ) to find each other after shift and paperwork. Imagine they eventually meet in the corridor outside their shared quarters. ( _“Captain-“   “Mister Spock! Just the man I was looking for!”   “I have a potential solution to our dilemma.”     “What a coincidence. So do I.”_ )

Imagine their relief when their solution is the same.

Imagine the discussion about where to go from there. Imagine they discuss their relationships with the doctor, and his traits and mannerisms. Imagine Jim describes his experiences sharing a dorm with Bones that one year in the Academy. Imagine them discussing whether attempting to integrate him even further into their lives would help or hinder. ( _‘If this goes sour, Spock…’   ‘Yes, but it won’t Jim. Not if we are careful.’_ )

Imagine that they agree to take it slow and see what happens. Because they aren’t willing to lose him. ( _‘Do you think you can love him, Spock?’   ‘Can you?’   ‘I know I can if I just let myself get started.’   ‘It is a much similar situation with myself. It will not be difficult. It will just take time.’_ )

Imagine that M’Benga comms them and informs them that he’s about to take Bones out of his coma and reminds them that they wanted to be there.

Imagine that he’s surprised by how quickly they get there.

( _Imagine that he’s not surprised at all. He’s not stupid, or oblivious – and as a medical expert in body language ((by necessity and by virtue of studying on **Vulcan** for years)) he’s noticed the way they act together ((the way they **acted** before Len’s withdrawal from both the Captain and the Commander.)) Imagine that his discovery of the Hanahaki confirmed his own private diagnosis._

_Imagine that he hopes that with this development he won’t have to do the surgery._

_((Also, he’s privately shipped the three of them ever since Chapel showed him that holo Scotty got of the three of them relaxing together. (((And while he knows they’re his superior officers and he respects them – you have to admit they’d be very good together.))) After she planted that thought in his head he hasn’t been able to stop the occasional mental squeal when he sees the three of them together.))_

_Imagine that he’s not surprised. He’s relieved._ )

Imagine that as Bones comes out of the coma Jim grabs his hand. Imagine that Spock hesitantly adds his hand to Jim’s.

( _Imagine that Geoff glances away, pretending not to see the shine of tears on at least one face as Len sighs in contentment, a soft smile on his face as he slowly makes his way back to consciousness.)_

Imagine that after the initial moment of vague coherence ( _‘Bones?’   ‘..mm..Jim? N’Spock?  ‘Yes Leonard. We are here.’   ‘Knew you would be… **hoped** you would be…’    ‘Alright, now that you’ve seen that my patient hasn’t shuffled off this mortal coin quite yet, I have to ask you to leave as I check him over.’_ ) and their subsequent exit, Geoff gives Len a sad smile and does the checkup.

Imagine that Len stares after them for a moment and then sighs, turning his head to cough.

Imagine the look shared as Geoff quietly passes him a trash can to throw the petal ( _thankfully bloodless_ ) in – along with a tissue to hide it from passing glances. ( _‘So you know?’   ‘Not hard to miss with the scan I gave you.’ A dry chuckle.  ‘Yeah a big honkin’ flower growin’ in my lungs.’ A pause. A quiet, ‘Two’. Another pause. ‘Yeah. Two. Couldn’t make it easy for myself could I?’ A shaky sound that might have been trying to be a laugh.  ‘I hadta go and fall for both of ‘em.’ Another pause. ‘You know Len, it may not be as hopeless as you think. You didn’t see how torn up they were over your injury. Or hear how insistent they were about being here when you woke up. Or how quickly they got here when I commed them.’_ )

Imagine that when Geoff leaves, he passes the two of them standing as close as allowed outside the soundproofed wall of the single treatment room. Imagine that they stop him and ask him for the over view.

Imagine that he tells them to ask Len themselves. ( _Because any time that he can get them to spend together – he will. ((If he can reasonably say that he helped them to work things out between them, he can lord that over **every single person on this ship.** (((Show him a single member of this crew that didn’t have a stake in the betting pool and he would eat his hat.))) And that’s an opportunity he isn’t willing to pass up.)) It might just move them forward.)_

Imagine they do. Imagine the slightly stilted beginning of the conversation. ( _‘So. Bones.’    ‘…Jim.’   ‘….How’s it going?’_ )

Imagine that as the time passes the conversation gets easier ( _just like it always has_ ) and they start talking about much more important things. ( _‘Why’d you push us out of the way Bones? When you knew that it’d hit you?’   ‘It was quite illogical, Doctor.’    ‘Y’all know I could never let you get hurt. You’re worth every bit.’_ )

Imagine that with the thought that he would _rather die than let anything happen to them_ he can feel the flower shift the way it does when he’s about to start hacking a lung, and he grimaces because that’ll start off a whole **boatload** of questions he doesn’t want to answer. ( _Imagine Jim and Spock feeling their feelings for him grow – just the slightest bit – with that statement._ ) Imagine that the grimace changes to a confused frown when the flower quiets back down again.

Imagine his elation when he never coughs up a petal again.


End file.
